Waler bracket



Aug; 19, 1969 F. E BUYKEN WALER BRACKET Filed Oct. 11, 1967 w ESmm- A r ram/5k 3,462,108 Patented Aug. 19, 1969 3,462,108 WALER BRACKET Frank E. Buyken, 1517 Rainier Ave. 5., Seattle, Wash. 98144 Filed Oct. 11, 1967, Ser. No. 674,604 Int. 'Cl. A47b 96/ 06 US. Cl. 248-205 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A waler bracket adapted to interlockingly engage the head of a tie-rod including a plate member connected to a waler supporting ledge and a vertical member connected to the outer end of the ledge member adapted to engage the outside edge of a waler.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention The present invention relates generally to the art of concrete construction and, more particularly, to an improved bracket for supporting and pressing a waler against a concrete-form panel.

Description of the prior art In the concrete construction field it is common to employ walers to bolster or reinforce concrete-form panels to prevent them from bulging, blowing or breaking under the force of the fluid concrete which such panels retain until it is set. The walers are normally supported by brackets, such as those shown in copending US. application Ser. No. 471,226, filed July 12, 1965, now US. Patent No. 3,347,510.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved waler bracket adapted to engage and be supported by the headed outer end of a tie-rod passing through a concrete-form panel and, in turn, to tense such tie-rod and support and press a waler against such panel. Another object of this invention is the provision of a waler bracket of the type described above which is relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture and to use.

The foregoing and other objects have been realized by the waler bracket of the present invention which includes a waler-supporting ledge member, a tie-rod engaging plate joined to one end of the ledge member and depending therefrom, and an upstanding waler engaging wall member joined to the other end of the ledge member. The depending plate normally forms an obtuse angle with the ledge member and the upstanding wall member normally forms a right angle with the ledge member. In addition, the length of the ledge member is slightly less than the usual width of the waler to be supported. The joinder between the ledge member !and the depending plate is relatively flexible, and the joinder between the ledge member and the upstanding wall is relatively inflexible or stiif. By virtue of these characteristics, when the plate is positioned to engage a tie-rod head passing through a concrete-form panel, and a waler is forced between the panel and the then canted upstanding wall member of the bracket, the tie-rod will be placed in tension, and the Wall member will press the waler against the panel to bolster or reinforce the form.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be more apparent during the course of the following description in which is set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING In the accompanying drawing:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary side elevation view, partly in section, showing a waler about to be applied to the bracket whereby it supports and presses the waler against a concrete-form panel, and showing, in phantom lines, the position the waler and bracket assumes on the panel when the waler is inserted;

FIG. 2 is a perspective 'view of the waler bracket shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary side elevation view, similar to FIG. 1, showing the waler bracket supporting a waler against a concrete-form panel.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIGS. 1 and 3 of the drawings, a waler bracket 10 constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention is shown supporting and pressing a waler 12 against a concrete-form panel 14. The bracket 10 engages and is supported on the head 16 of a tie-rod 18 which passes through an aperture 20 in panel 14.

Typically, the waler 12 comprises a two-by-four timber of construction grade lumber (circa 1%" x 3%); the concrete-form panel 14 is usually plywood approximately inch in thickness; and the tie-rod 18 is formed of steel bar stock approximately 7 inch in diameter. A supporting washer 22 on the shank portion 24 of the tie-rod bears on the panel inner face and closes the inner end of aperture 20.

As best shown in FIG. 2, the waler bracket 10 includes a generally flat ledge member 26 which receives and supports the waler 12. A depending plate 28 is integrally jo1ned to one end of the ledge member 26 and is provided with an inverted keyhole slot 30 for engaging the tie-rod head 16. An upstanding wall member 32 bears on the outer edge of the waler and presses it against the panel 14. The upstanding wall member 32 is preferably provided w1th an outwardly curved lip 34 at its upper end to faciligatle insertion of the waler as will be more fully described e ow.

As is shown in FIG. 2 and in solid lines in FIG. 1, the depending plate 28 normally forms an obtuse angle with the ledge member 26 of bracket 10. The upstanding wall 32 normally forms a generally right angle with the ledge. Preferably, the line of joinder 36 between the upstanding Wall 32 and the ledge member 26 is reinforced as by stiffemng means 38, 38 to render it less flexible than the 3omder 40 between the plate 28 and the ledge. The length of the ledge is slightly shorter than the width of the waler 12. By virture of these relationships, when bracket 10 is engaged and supported on panel 14 by the tie-rod head 16 and a waler 12 is inserted between the panel 14 and the upstandlng bracket wall 32, the latter wall will bear on and press the waler against the panel and reinforce it. In addition, wedging action of the waler between the bracket wall 32 and the panel 14 forces the ledge member 26 to pivot (in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 1) about fulcrum line 40. This action places the tie-rod 18 in tension and tenses the assembly.

In operation, forming carpenters insert tie-rods through a series of pre-formed, aligned holes 20 in a concreteforming panel 14. They engage a waler bracket 10 on each rod end by placing the inverted keyhole slot 30 of the plate portion 28 over the rod head 16. They next insert and force an elongated waler 12, initially tilted or canted, between panel 14 and bracket wall 32. The curved lip 34 on the wall facilitates such insertion. The wall 32 will force the waler against the outer surface of panel 14, and the washer 22 on the tensed tie rod 18 will press against the inner surface of panel 14 and force it against the Waler to further tighten the assembly.

When so assembled, the Waler 12 functions to bolster the panel and prevent it from bowing or fracturing under the force of the fluid concrete (not shown) 'which the form retains. When the concrete sets, the bracket-waler structure is disassembled by striking an upward blow at or near the fulcrum line 40 of the bracket 10 to move the inverted keyhole slot 30 upwardly until the enlarged portion thereof registers with the tie-rod head 16. Thereupon the outward pressure on the bracket created by the Waler will force the bracket ofi? the tie-rod head. Or the waler may be upwardly dislodged from the brackets supporting it, whereupon all the brackets may be lifted off the tie rods.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes and alterations may be made Without departing from the spirit of the invention. All such as, by a liberal application of the doctrine of equivalents, fall within the subjoined claims are intended to be covered hereby.

What is claimed is:

1. A Waler bracket, comprising:

a ledge member to receive and support a Waler;

depending plate joined to one end of said ledge member and adapted to be engaged by a headed tie-rod element to thereby be held juxtaposed to a concrete and said ledge member being resiliently joined toand said ledge member being resiliently joined together and normally disposed at an obtuse angle to each other;

an upstanding wall relatively more rigidly joined to the other end of said ledge member to bear on the outer face of a waler disposed on said ledge member; and

the length of the ledge member between the plate and the wall being slightly less than the width of a waler to be supported thereby.

2. The structure of claim 1 in which there is included stiffening means at the joinder of said wall to the ledge member increasing its resistance to fiexure in relation to the joinder of said plate to said ledge member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,236,486 2/1966 Allen 2492l9 X 3,273,848 9/1966 Allen et al. 2492l9 3,286,976 11/1966 Lynch 2492l9 3,347,510 10/1967 Buyken 248205 ROY D. FRAZIER, Primary Examiner J. F. FOSS, Assistant Examiner 

